Acclaimed mixologist Joseph Boroski’s newest bar promises to bring new levels of luxury and innovation to the Hong Kong cocktail scene. By Nick Walton
It’s early on a weekday evening, and at a bar bathed in golden light, beneath a mesmerising leather latticework of shimmering green beetles, I’m watching the future of mixology unfold. The bartender before me ponders shelves piled with exotic craft spirits from distilleries across the globe, muses over the adjectives I’ve used, and starts to create a drink just for me.
In refreshing contrast to the open-faced bars that line Hollywood and Wyndham in Central Hong Kong, to find J.Boroski, the city’s first ‘creative cocktail space’, you need to be prepared to search. Without ruining the fun, we’ll just say the new bar, a partnership between New York cocktail guru and self-titled ‘mixsultant’ Joseph Boroski and leading restaurant group Dining Concepts, is located just off Hollywood Road, and leave it at that.
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Rest assured, there’s method behind the madness: the result of the intrigue and inaccessibility is that this revolutionary nightspot attracts true cocktail lovers willing to be wowed, and happy to pay handsomely for the pleasure.
One of the most innovative and enigmatic concepts to grace the Fragrant Harbour’s rapidly developing cocktail scene, J.Boroski offers savvy cocktail consumers captivating décor by acclaimed Aussie designer Ashley Sutton (including a hidden sex room where televisions play vintage porn); sensational bespoke cocktails; and levels of service and intimacy rarely encountered in Asia.
In many ways Boroski has created the ‘anti-bar’ – there’s no menu, no scribbled blackboards, and no table talkers with happy hour specials.
Instead, the jet setting bartender and his team employ Boroski’s unique ‘cocktail concierge service’, perfected at his Bangkok venue, where drinks are crafted entirely based on guest preference. A strict RSVP policy ensures visitor numbers can be managed (along with expectations) and a simple consultation with your friendly barkeep begins the process of bespoke mixology.
This tailored approach to mixology allows for creations that are off the cuff, impromptu, and often unexpected – vodka from Poland brought to life with a touch of black pepper? How about a boutique US gin shaken with fresh Japanese Kyoho grapes? Perhaps a cask-strength bourbon Manhattan with a touch of absinthe bitters? Boroski and the members of his international team conjure up constant creativity, using their extensive menu of base spirits, a host of home infusions, a selection of herbs that would put a professional kitchen to shame, and of course, their years of experience behind the mahogany to produce beautifully crafted one-of-a-kind cocktails.
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Of course, there are downsides to this ambitious concept. Drinks can take a while, even when you’re seated at the bar (which you should) and when they are ready for consumption, not all drinks are sure winners. Much of the creative success depends on the bartender’s interpretation of a guest’s preferences, as does the latter’s willingness to try new things. And that’s what J.Boroski is about – taking a leap of faith, being part of the creative process instead of just the recipient of its efforts, and being open-minded to the often unexpected results.
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